Magnet wires are used to form coil windings for a variety of electrical devices. When energized, the coil windings generate magnetic fields and electromagnetic forces to drive, for example, a rotor of an electric motor. When the magnet wire is installed into a stator structure of the motor, the windings cause the rotor to rotate when the stator windings are energized. To supply power to the windings, magnet wire terminals are sometimes employed to couple a power lead wire to the magnet wires.
One type of magnet wire terminal includes an upper saddle which accepts a lead wire or lead wires and a lower saddle which accepts a magnet wire or a number of magnet wires used in the coil windings. When the lead wires and the magnet wires are loaded into the respective upper and lower saddles of the terminal, the terminal is crimped or bent to secure the wires to the terminal. The lower saddle includes serrations formed therein which pierce the insulation of the magnet wires to establish electrical connection to the terminal in the lower saddle when the terminal is crimped. The lead wires are crimped in the upper saddle to establish electrical connection of the lead wire to the terminal. Electrical connections of the lead wires and the magnet wires through the terminal are therefore established.
Loading the wires into the terminal, however, may be problematic, as positioning the wires in the proper saddles may be difficult due to space considerations. In addition, if the wires are not properly positioned, the lead wires may encompass the magnet wire, preventing the proper serration piercing termination of the magnet wire. Therefore, if the magnet wires and lead wires are not positioned properly, the electrical connection through the terminal may be compromised, and the associated electrical device may not function properly.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a terminal splice which ensures the magnet wire(s) and lead wire(s) are properly positioned and terminated.